Limit fungicides on organic farms Lords
29 July 1999
Limit fungicides on organic farms — Lords
By FWi staff
THE House of Lords has criticised organic farming rules which permit the use of copper- and sulphur-based fungicides.
Consumers would not expect such substances to be used in the production of organic food, concludes a report by an all-party House of Lords sub-committee.
The report, Organic Farming and the European Union, acknowledges that yields for organic arable crops are usually lower than in conventional farming.
And it calls for further research to find suitable alternatives to copper- and sulphur-based fungicides, currently permitted under Soil Association guidelines.
The report says, however, that organic farming brings clear benefits for the natural environment and for animal welfare.
Lord Reay, chairman of the sub-committee which conducted the Lords inquiry drew attention to the environmental benefits of farming without chemicals.
“Organic farming methods improve biodiversity – the evidence is overwhelming,” he said.
“They also make for better animal health and welfare, without the routine use of antibiotics.”
The report welcomes the governments new Organic Farming Scheme, which will increase the amount of aid given to farmers who convert to organic production.
But it emphasises that potential applicants should be given sufficient information about their chances of being accepted into the scheme before they apply.
Farmers should be informed of what other benefits they might lose, well before they convert to organic farming, the report says.
Organic farmers should not, however, receive ongoing subsidy payments just because they farm without chemicals, it adds.
It is possible to achieve similar environmental benefits without being organic, the report claims.
Any farmer who meets the appropriate objectives should apply for payments under agri-environmental schemes, it says.
The report also calls for government support to find a way forward for the organic producers and farmers who wish to use genetically modified (GM) crops.
The last report by the same committee in January was criticised by some scientists because it said the potential benefits from GM crops far outweighed the risks.